Following in Brother's Footsteps
by Peanuckle
Summary: Distraught over the loss of her brother, Sayu runs to his room. Inside, she finds something that will change her life forever.
1. A Strange Discovery

**A/N: I know I should be working on my other two stories, but I've got a raging plotbunny and I want to get it down before I forget about it, as well as see what you guys think about it. If you like it, I'll make it a story. If not, it'll just be this chapter.**

I don't own Death Note. If I did, L would have died from diabetic shock.

Sayu was distraught over the recent happenings to her family. Her father's death had been a huge shock. Her mother was inconsolable and people watched her, calling her the "dead father girl." She would love to just rip them a new one, but she was too tired and sad to do anything.

Adjusting to life after that had been very hard. Sayu had to pick up a part-time job, while her mother had to abandon her role as a housewife and get a job, since she was not interested in remarrying anytime soon.

As the years went by, the pain had gradually lessened, while the scars in her heart slowly healed over. They were doing well financially, thanks a lot to Light who kept sending them money from his apparently high-paying detective job. Sayu didn't know what they would do without him. He was such a caring person.

This new life of hers, however, was going to be shattered yet again...

--

When Sayu walked into her house from work, she saw Matsuda standing there, wringing his hands in anticipation. When Sayu came in, her mother, red in the face with tear streaks running from her eyes, left the room, sobbing.

"Matsuda, whats wrong?" asked Sayu. She thought that someone had probably broken in and stolen something, since Matsuda was a police officer.

"Sayu, I really don't know how to tell you this. I know you've had a really rough time, but it was decided that I should tell you."

"Tell me... what?" Sayu's eyes were full of anxiety, and Matsuda cursed his ill luck at having drawn the short straw.

"Sayu... Light... is dead. He was killed during the Kira investigation."

Her knees gave out from under her and she fell to the ground. Her life, her world had just been shattered a second time. First her father, now Light? Why did it seem that Kira had a grudge against her family? Was he someone they knew?

"However, Kira himself has also been dealt with, if that is any consolation."

"Matsuda... how did he die?"

"A heart attack." Mumbled Matsuda. Ryuk briefly filled them in on the contract between a Death Note user and the Shinigami, about him having to be the one to kill Light. After that, he flew back to his world, with both notebook. Everyone agreed that they shouldn't remain on earth, but Ryuk wouldn't let them be destroyed because "they were too valuable to the Shinigami King."

_At least, _thought Sayu, _he died doing what he had sworn to do. At least he made a difference._

--

Later that night, Sayu went up to her late brother's room for old time's sake.

_I remember being so small, coming in here asking Light for help for every problem, just so I could spend time around him. I admired him because he was so smart, so perfect. My big brother could do anything. I bet if he lived to be a detective like he wanted, he could have cleaned the world of people like the ones who killed daddy._

She sat in his chair at his desk, staring into space, thinking.

She opened the top drawer, some pencils, books, nothing special.

The left middle drawer. Why was she going through her brother's things? She supposed it was a way to cope with the loss, to surround yourself in the person's belongings.

She opened the top right drawer.

_Wait... this drawer is shallower than all the others... a false bottom?_

She pushed it down, and something pushed it back up.

_It must be something important. Maybe a secret diary? I could learn all about his detective work maybe, something important about how he died!_

Sayu knew her brother was good at hiding things and tricking people. She took advice from him when a bunch of boys had teased her. He told her how to set their lockers up just right so that you had to pull very hard to open them. After stacking the books, the boys got pummeled by very think, very heavy workbooks from their classes.

She felt around the drawer for a secret switch or lever, finding a small hole in the bottom of the drawer.

She got down on her knees and looked at it. It looked big enough for...

_A pen!_

She grabbed one of Light's many pens, unscrewed it and pushed up the fake drawer-bottom.

Inside lay a clear plastic bag filled with a clear liquid. _Gasoline? Whatever is in here must be important for him to risk burning down the whole house._

On top of the bag, a single sheaf of paper...


	2. Dinner with Matsuda

**A/N:****You know, I really like this story. I'm making this one my top priority. I'm still not sure if I'm gonna have Sayu be smart enough to challenge Near, or even the regular police, like Light did. We'll see how it goes! **

_A piece of paper?_

"Whats this? Well, if Light hid it this well, it probably has sentimental value. I don't see anything written on it." Sayu said to herself.

"I know what I'll do with it! Mom has been crying so hard about Light, she would love to have something that was important to him!"

Sayu took out a pen and began to write carefully on the page: Dedicated to: _Sachiko Yagami_.

She looked at her handwriting: It was in the most perfect calligraphy she had ever done. Ever since she started watching those sappy romance movies, she fell in love with the style of flowing writing.

A little under a minute later, she heard a scream and a crash from inside the kitchen...

--

Sachiko was pronounced dead at the scene. Cardiac arrest, unknown cause. A Kira judgment.

Sayu heard the diagnosis and abruptly sat down on her couch. A Kira killing, her own mother? She was never a criminal. What on earth would Kira want to kill her for?

_The paper..._

Sayu thought about it for a minute. Kira had needed a face and a name to kill people. She had written her mother's name down while thinking about how she would have a smile on her face from receiving a one of Light's old things.

_Oh... my god..._

_Light's old things. Kira judgments. That must mean..._

_Light... was Kira!_

--

"Near, you heard about the heart attack? Do you have any idea what it could be?" Asked Aizawa. The SPK and L's Kira Task Force had pretty much become estranged after the case was closed, but Aizawa had become a friend to near, much in the same way that Watari was to L.

"While it is not a very high possibility, there is a chance that another Death Note has made it's way to earth and that someone used it to kill Mrs. Yagami. However, I think that it is more likely that someone found a piece of Light's Note and used it by mistake."

Aizawa thought it over. "You think that they found a piece, and not knowing what it was, wrote her name into it?"

"Yes." Near replied. "If that is the case, then there is no real need to investigate. The person who wrote the name is either Mrs. Yagami herself, in which case she would no longer pose a threat, or Sayu. From Matsuda's _frequent_ descriptions about her, I highly doubt that she would ever take up Kira's work."

"So we just catalog it as a natural death then?" Asked Aizawa.

"Yes. There is no reason to give the few Kira worshipers remaining a new god to follow."

--

_Light was Kira. Light was Kira. Light was Kira._

_Light is dead._

_Light could not have been killed by Kira if he was Kira._

_Matsuda is lying to me. What is the truth? How do I get Matsuda to tell me?_

A sly smirk came across Sayu's face. _I know how to get him to talk..._

--

Matsuda was very happy with himself that night. Tonight was his very first date. Ever. He had gotten close sometimes, but most of the women were either put off by his natural goofiness, or grew to like him "like a brother." God how he hated that phrase.

Sayu had called him up out of the blue and asked him if he wanted to go out to eat. After untying his tongue a few times, he finally got out a "sure!" Poor Sayu was probably distraught over losing all her family so quick, she was looking for someone to offer a shoulder to lay on. Matsuda knew that if he could pull that off, he might end up going steady!

They had a small chat in the car on the way to the restaurant they were going to, and Matsuda noticed that Sayu was indeed looking for a shoulder to lay on. She was all over his. It took all his willpower and all his quick-talking (of which he had very little) to keep her from noticing a certain disturbance in the force. Of his concentration.

_Alright Matsuda, keep your eyes on the road. On the ROAD!_ He thought to himself as he constantly found his eyes edging over to the side. Why did Sayu have to wear such an enticing piece of clothing? It was getting hard to drive!

Sayu, on the other hand, was rather enjoying making Matsuda uncomfortable. _With him paying attention to my body, I can get him to slip up and tell me whatever he's hiding. Of course, a little alcohol never hurts either!_

They walked into the restaurant, claimed their reservations and sat down.

Sayu ordered an Angus burger with fries. Not very womanly or Japanese-like, but god did she love American food. Matsuda got traditional Japanese stuff.

Sayu ordered the booze. High-proof, High quality wine. Just the kind to keep a lightweight like Matsuda drinking till he couldn't stand. Or keep a secret!

About 15 minutes into the meal, Matsuda was feeling pretty confident about himself around Sayu. She had complimented him on his suit and seemed to blush whenever he did something chivalrous, like pulling out her chair or pouring her another glass of wine. Matsuda tried not to get her drunk, but little did he know that Sayu's college life had prepared her for a night of hefty drinking.

_This guy is totally buying me. A few more drinks and I'll put my plan into motion. Now, Matsuda. What are you hiding from me?_


	3. The First Half

**A/N: I am now at college. Goodbye summer break! sob. You know what that means…**

**It means I will further ignore my academic work to continue updating my stories! Did you really think I'd forget about you people? ;)**

I do not own Death Note. If I did, Light would be one of those psychic people who just put a pen to paper and the letters write themselves. He would have L's name in a matter of minutes!

---

At this point of the date, Sayu had been extra sure to ration her consumption of the wine, so that Matsuda would end up drinking a lot more than she was. This was integral to her plan, for even though Matsuda was a goofball and very often a moron, he was very loyal and would need to be very drunk before he started doing what Sayu wanted him to do.

Her date was becoming slowly drunker with each sip, drinking larger each time. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before he was out cold, which would completely mess up her plan. She decided now was as good a time as ever.

She adopted a crying face, started sobbing and sat near Matsuda, hugging him from the side.

"Oh Matsuda, I'm so sad! Light was my brother, my best friend, he meant so much to me! Please, I know you're not supposed to divulge information, but I have to know how he died!"

Matsuda, being well past the legal limit, slurred back "ssshou knows I c'nt tell you zaht… ish HIGHLY comfiwental infermazion!"

_Damn._ Though Sayu. Well, thank god I'm female… here goes nothing! She let one of her hands fall down onto Matsuda's thigh, very close to his groin, while pressing her body into him. Normally any guy would either freak out or return the favor, but Matsuda just melted all over her.

"Please Matsuda, you're the only one who can help me! It's just you I'm depending on!"

That did it. "Sayu, I knows thish'll be herd to take, but, well..." He leaned in close to her and whispered:

"Light WASH Kira!"

_I knew it! I knew that he was! Oh Light, why didn't you let me help you! Sure I was afraid of this power, but I've gotten used to it! I wanted to have a perfect world WITH you, not without you!_

"But Matsuda, if Light was Kira…"

_This is it! Now I will find out!_ The though ran through her head, her body pumping with adrenaline at the thought of avenging her brother's death.

"…who killed him?"

Matsuda sat up and looked very sad at her. "I'm shorry, Sayu. I really am. I shot him! But he was still alive! He was killed by Ryuk, his Shinygahmy!"

_Shinigami? Incredible. _

Matsuda rambled on. "It wash a trap. Light thoughted he had ush, but Near had him outshmrt'd. I nev'r would've thunk that a widdle kid could be so shmrt!"

Sayu's eyes flew open. If there was any one person responsible for Light's death, it was the boy named Near. It would be very hard for Matsuda to betray the person who saved their lives. This would take extra persuasion.

She moved her hand and applied pressure.

"Matsuda… please, what was his real name?"

Red in the face, goofy smile plastered on him, Matsuda whispered again. "I shaw it in the fake note. It was… Nate, Nate… Riversh!"

_Bingo!_ Thought Sayu. She got up and told Matsuda she was going to the bathroom. As soon as she turned the corner, she made a beeline for the exit, hailed a taxi and went home.

---

"Near, there's been an accident. Matsuda was killed in a car wreck today. He was hit by a drunk driver. The old Kira task force is getting together for the funeral, would you like to go?"

"No." Replied Near. "I have to stay out of the public. You can be there as my representative."

"I understand." The script-english "A" disappeared from the screen as Aizawa signed off the network.

_Matsuda's death would usually be overlooked. However, Light's mother had died from a random heart attack, just like the Kira killings. What if there was still a piece of the Death Note at his house? It's probably just an accident, but I think I'll do a wrapup investigation just to make sure that there is no chance of Kira returning._

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed my first update from college.**

**To reviewer Anonymous: I really wish you had an account so I could respond to you in private. You brought up several good points and gave me some ideas. About your specific points:**

**1. Stop guessing my plot!**

**2. She knows Nate's name, now all she needs to do is get a good look at his face. I already have figured out how to do this.**

**3. She is no match for Near and I don't intend for her to do any logic combat like Light did, at least not in the beginning. She will pick up some skills later on.**

**4. I really hope I can make this a "gem of originality." I would love to have something like that ascribed to me. Double fudge chocolate chip brownie goes to you!**


	4. A Diabolic Pact

**A/N: I'm really sorry for the tremendous period of no updates, but college has been rougher than usual. Also, I was unable to think of a way for Sayu and Near to fight until now. I also contracted a severe and drug resistant case of the Lazy. I hope this makes up for it!**

I do not own Death Note. If I did, Light would have killed the entire investigation team at his first chance.

Sayu sat in her room, thinking to herself. After her mother died, money had been an issue since she could only get a part time job. It was going to be murder to pay for the next installment of her tuition.

Yes, she thought to herself. _It will be murder_. Sayu couldn't stop a tiny giggle escaping her mouth as she wrote the details of the death onto her piece of paper. _Light used it for justice, but this thing has plenty of personal applications too!_

She would never be stupid enough to have someone deposit money directly into her account. Instead, they would leave a suitcase full of money at a dead drop, where she would pick it up later, after anyone had forgotten it was there. She was still new to these kinds of games, but she tried her hardest to think like Light and so far, it was paying off. All she had to do now was not go spend crazy and have people wondering where she got the money from.

She had sold off the house and moved into a small, one room apartment. That would make it more believable that she was just barely getting by. As Sayu looked around her tiny new home, her thoughts inevitably fell to the same place. Near.

_It's all his fault. Light's death, me losing my mom, my house, my LIFE! Once Nate River is dead, I'll be able to live like a normal person. It's a shame that I only have one piece of Light's weapon, otherwise I might be able to honor him by carrying on his work. _

_But for now, I need to think of a way to see Nate's face…_

---

"Ehh? Why are you folding, Ryuk? You had a good hand there!" One of the shinigami protested, as Ryuk tossed down his cards and stood up.

"I'm sensing something. People on earth on dying before their appointed times."

"Do you mean there's still a Note down there? I thought you ended all that Kira business."

"Me too, but I guess Light left something behind. Well, I was getting bored of this game anyway. I think I'll go down and see what's going on." Ryuk made for the portal to the human world, but paused for a minute. "You know, if this person is anything like Light, this could be really fun." He walked over to a spot in the ground, underneath the bones of some giant, forgotten animal, and dug where he had left a small "x."

There, under the ground, hidden from the Shinigami King, were Misa's and Rem's Death Notes. Ryuk took them both, and then flew off to the human realm; intent of finding out if this person was going to be entertaining.

---

"Gaah! No matter how I think this out, there no way it can work!" Yelled Sayu in despair. She had been through several plans, but a cursory examination of each one had shown that there was simply no way for her to meet Nate without him discovering that she had a piece of murdering paper.

"Maybe I just need a break. I've been working on this all day." She walked over to her bed and flopped down. She closed her eyes and was about to fall asleep when she heard a scratching sound at her window. She opened her eyes, looked toward it…

…and flew off the bed in shock. A horrible, huge monster was right in her apartment! It was at least nine feet tall, with arms that dangled down to it's knees and a horrible grin that stretched to its…

"Are you going to sit there gawking at me or no? Since you can see me, I take it that you're the one whose been using the Death Note?"

_Death Note… so that's what it's called._

"You must be a Shinigami, am I right?" Asked Sayu.

Ryuk was already impressed. He recognized Sayu, but what he remembered from his last trip down here was that she was a weak-willed person, not suited for this kind of work. She had obviously grown in the time since Light's death. "Yes, Sayu, I am a Shinigami. In fact, I am the Shinigami that possessed your brother, Light, also known as Kira." Ryuk chuckled. She had quickly stopped panicking and questioned him. She reminded him immediately of Light, the first time they had met. _Oh, I knew it! This is going to be so much fun!"_

"Yes, I have been killing people. Unfortunately, Light only left a single piece of paper here, so I'm a little limited in what I can do."

Ryuk couldn't hold it in any longer. He let out one of his most evil laughs that had ever been heard on earth. "Well don't worry any more Sayu, for I have brought you the remains of Light's work! Two complete Death Notes!" He brought out the Notes and let them fall to the ground. "A few rules. These notes now belong to the Earth. If you pick them up, they will be yours. If you do not want them…"

Sayu already had both notes in her hands. Her eyes gleamed and she looked up at Ryuk. "Thank you Ryuk. You've given me the tools I need to avenge my brother." Sayu promptly walked off towards her desk to think of how she could use these. Ryuk stared at her from the shadows. _Exactly like Light. It's kind of scary to see the similarities. Yes, this trip will be just as fun as the last time._

_Sayu, what do you have in store for the world?_


	5. A Plan is Formed, and Apples!

**A/N: Holy crap, I'm coming out of fan fiction retirement! I apologize for the tremendous wait, really I do, but I lost the spark to write for awhile and lost myself in videogames and other people's fan fictions. That and my life recently has sucked tremendously. But now I will try to write my stories again, for you guys!**

**I had a really badass plotline going for this, but I lost my notebook somewhere in the morass that is my desk, so I'll have to write this from impetus and memory. Wish me luck!**

Disclaimer: Death Note does not belong to me. If it did, I would have gotten a better voice actor to play Light in the English dub.

---

Sayu sat hunched over her desk, writing on a piece of paper. It was normal paper, not the murdering sheet that she had grown so fond of. In fact, she had destroyed it as soon as she got a hold of the two Death Notes that Ryuk, her brother's former Shinigami, had brought her. No sense leaving behind anything implicating.

Currently, she was revising her plans to meet Near. Now that she had two notebooks, she believed that her options were open to new ideas. Problem was, she couldn't think of anything!

"Ahh! This is getting so hard! How did Light ever go about fighting these kind of people? Everything I've ever heard about L says that he was able to deduce crimes almost instantly! If this Near is anything like that, I've got to be real careful."

On the other side of the room, Ryuk was laying down on Sayu's bed, watching her scribble away different plans. After watching her write for awhile, Ryuk decided that Sayu was definitely _not_ as smart as Light. He was worried about his fun, but for now, there was something even more pressing to worry about.

"Sayu, were out of apples again."

"Again, Ryuk?"

"Again."

"This is like, the fifth time you've eaten all your apples in the same day. Don't you ever get full?"

"Heh heh, nope! I love apples too much to get full! So, can we go?"

"To the market to get you some more apples before you start having withdrawal symptoms. Yes, I _know_ already! Why do you have to be so annoying! I thought that a God of Death would be more menacing and crafty! You're just a goofball!"

_Goofball? _Thought Ryuk. _That wasn't very nice_. He died a little inside. Then laughed to himself for thinking that he had anything inside to kill.

Sayu started up again. "But fine, since you're hungry and I can't think of anything, let's go to the market. Maybe I just need to walk around to get thinking right."

---

As Sayu walked and Ryuk floated towards the apple stand, She thought of ways to kill Near, while He thought of ways to make apples last longer. Maybe these humans make apple-flavored gum. People chew gum forever; why not make it in apple flavor.

That got Ryuk thinking. Apple flavor, once extracted, could be applied to anything! Apple candy, apple cake, apple pizza, the possibilities were endless!

"Ryuk, is something the matter?" As Sayu said this, Ryuk realized that he was hovering _inside_ the apple stand manager, who was presently freaking out due to the shivering feeling he was getting from having an otherworldly being present.

"Oh. Oops, I guess I'd better move." He got out of the manager, and Sayu was finally able to buy a(nother) basket of apples.

_She's my best customer_. He thought to himself, as she left the market area.

---

Back at the apartment, Sayu sat in her chair, arms dangling at her sides. A pile of crumpled paper reached up to her waist. She couldn't figure out a good plan! Whenever she asked Ryuk, he just said that he wasn't on her side and that he wouldn't help her.

_Stupid Shinigami… Just wait till you eat the apple that I put needles into! _

_Light… How would you deal with this? _Sayu thought back as far as she could, thinking way back to when Kira was just coming about. "Kira… L… Second Kira…"

"Second Kira! That's it! Ryuk, it's so simple, I can't believe I had so much trouble thinking about it!"

"What's it?" He mumbled through swallowing another apple.

"I'll find someone who would use a Death Note for their own sake. Someone who would make stupid mistakes and get caught! Then, when Near arrests him, I'll be able to see his face!" Sayu could barely keep herself from jumping around at the joy she felt at thinking up a plan like this. "This will be so interesting! I can't wait to find someone to give the Note to!"

_Well, this could turn out interesting after all! She's doing the same stuff Light was, just takes her a little while to figure it out._ Ryuk popped another apple into his mouth. _I wonder who she'll choose to use the Death… OW! _ "HEY! WHAT IS THIS?"


	6. A Puppet Show

**A/N: Here's another chapter for you guys! For this story, I'm assuming that Sayu is a sophomore in college. If this is way off the mark, please correct me.**

I do not own Death Note. If I did… umm… hrm. Light would do something. I don't know what, but it would make him win, that's for sure.

---

Sayu was having an interesting time. She had been so excited about receiving the Death Notes and figuring out her grand scheme that she hadn't put much thought into _who_ was going to receive one of them. Since she intended this person to be caught by Near, it didn't really matter if they were a genius or not, but she didn't want to hand it over to some idiot who would use it to rob a drug store.

"No, no, nope, not him, too stupid…" These were the words that floated throughout Sayu's apartment for three whole days. She wasn't about to give it to a criminal and she didn't want to create a situation where a lot of innocent people would die by giving it to someone involved in the military or government. She didn't know many adults, so that narrowed her pool of candidates to her peers.

She was not, by any means, going to be dumb enough to give it to one of her classmates. Whoever got it, had to be completely separated from Sayu in order to ensure her anonymity.

"Ryuk! Why can't you be more helpful! The least you could do is not eat your apples so darn loud!"

"What?!" Ryuk jumped out of his apple-induced stupor. He had been letting his jaw drop down, and then smashing it back up for each bite, resulting in an obscenely loud noise that only Sayu could hear. And she did not appreciate it. "Fine, fine, I'll chew with my mouth closed."

"Well, it looks like there's no choice. It has to be a student from this area, otherwise I might not be able to get a good look at Near's face." Sayu opened up her school's directory, looking at sophomore level students: Someone who would be tied here, but not a complete freshman idiot. Sayu typed in her computer, Ryuk ate apples.

Sayu typed in her computer, Ryuk ate apples.

Sayu typed in her computer, Ryuk ate apples.

Sayu typed in her computer, Ryuk moaned about the lack of apples.

"For crying out loud Ryuk! Just be quiet! How did Light ever manage to get any work done with your constant nagging for apples! This is like the 10th basket you've finished in a week! Learn some self restraint, because I'm putting you on a leash!"

"But but but… it's not like you're short on money! You can get it whenever you want!"

"Look, Ryuk. I'm really busy here. If you want apples, you're going to have to prove it to me that you deserve apples by being quiet. Ok?"

"Ok, ok, As long as I get my apples!"

---

Mark Hagen was a transfer student from the 'States, so when he arrived here he did not have any friends, and his only contact was his English teacher, since she conversed with him in his native language. Not that he couldn't speak Japanese, but it made him feel more accepted. The teacher had directed him to a new and upcoming school group in order to make him some friends. Students Supporting Kira, the SSK.

During the time before Kira's apparent downfall, the SSK had been one of the most rapidly growing student organizations in the world, due to the fact that most students Mark's age tended to see the world in black and white, much like Kira had. In that group, he made many friends and had become an ardent Kira worshipper.

When he had gotten out of high school, college presented a new challenge for him. A much more open atmosphere and exposure to many new ideas had changed the game completely. Many students voiced their opposition to Kira, some didn't care, but the SSK appeared to be a minority on the campus scene.

He had been tested on his beliefs many times both by students who could not comprehend his position, and by professors who believed that he was an impressionable young man caught up in a worldwide event.

_Impressionable._ He thought to himself. _I am not impressionable. Kira's message struck right to me, that's why I came to Japan for college in the first place, to be close to him when he finally revealed himself! _Unfortunately for Mark, it was announced that L's successor had defeated Kira once and for all.

_That completely shattered my world. It shattered everyone's world. I'd turn on the news and I couldn't believe what I was seeing._ Criminals and people with black hearts all over had taken the news as a sign to re-open hunting season. There was a three hundred percent boost of the crime levels _before_ Kira's reign. _Without a shepherd, the sheep go astray…_

Of course, while Mark thought all this during his lectures, he never could have imagined that not to far away, in a small one room apartment, the last living family of Kira had finished reviewing his public profile, and had selected him to do her work.

---

"So you think this kid will do a good job Sayu?"

"He should do alright, Ryuk. Even though you won't be there to haunt him, I'm sure he'll have a good run with the note. Then when he draws Near out with his actions, I'll be able to get a clear look at his face."

"Heh heh, this might be just as interesting as when Light was around!"

---

Mark walked to his house, beat after a hard day at college. His studies were suffering horrendously, since his mind was always in the clouds. He walked up to his door, grabbed his mail, which consisted of a few letters and a small box, and walked inside. He tossed it all down on the couch and dropped himself into his chair. He would have gotten on his computer to continue to vigorously defend his position on the forums that Kira was simply in remission and soon to return, but he felt a tug of sorts, to his mail. He had never gotten a package since coming to Japan. He tossed it up on the table, broke out a knife and opened it up. Inside lay a thin black notebook with odd symbols on it, and a piece of paper with some instructions.

As he read, he smiled.


	7. Near Takes Action

**A/N: Woo, long time no update! Let's see how this works.**

I do not own Death Note. If I did, Near would have bought an automatic hair-twisting machine, only to have it malfunction and rip off his bangs.

---

Darkness pervaded the small room. In the corner, a young man stood hunched over a desk. One might think that he was trembling with the temperature of the room, but upon a closer examination, it was plain to see that he was quivering with excitement.

His eyes flew over the efforts of the past night, barely able to contain a wicked laugh; he let out the breath he had been holding in a quick rush of air. The news station he was watching had just confirmed three new deaths.

_Asika Hanane. Heart attack. Writes "Kira" on the wall in her own blood, then dies._

_Cho Linh. Heart attack. Writes "Lives" on the wall in her own blood, then dies._

_Hector Matthews. Heart attack. Writes "Again" on every wall in his house in his own blood, then dies._

A smile split the face of Mark Hagen. He had been right all along, so very right. Kira was not dead, only sleeping. Not only that, he had been chosen as a messenger from Kira to the rest of the world. The message was simple:

"_I have returned_."

---

Needless to say, the media uproar was impossible to stop. Every TV channel, radio station and newspaper had run the deaths announcing Kira's return to a shocked populace.

It did not take long for people to find themselves re-divided into Pro-Kira and Anti-Kira groups again, as criminals began to turn up dead at an alarming rate. Some days, over one hundred bodies would be buried from various prisons and institutions across the world. This revitalized Kira was acting with a vengeance.

A fact not lost on Near, nor the re-formed SPK.

As Nate River, codename N, scanned the room, he took in the identities of his followers, fellow people believing that Kira's justice was evil. The group included Aizawa, of course, who had been acting as N's Watari, Halle Lidner, the last remaining member of the old SPK after the riots ensuing from the supposed end of Kira took their toll on law enforcement groups around the world, as well as some new members that had felt the same way about Kira's return as the original taskforces. It was altogether a motley crew, but it would suffice.

He already had a prime suspect.

"Mr. Cragen and Mr. Takanashi, if you would please go to the current residence of Sayu Yagami and have her brought to the local police station for questioning, I can have Ms. Lidner go search her apartment for any Death Notes."

John Cragen and Feng Takanishi were the two new members to the SPK. Cragen was a retired police chief from New York, while Feng was an ICPO detective that the UN had insisted on being involved with the investigation. They wanted to have a part in bringing Kira down so that they looked good, and had threatened to withhold funding if N didn't let him work with him.

"Sir, doesn't that violate privacy rights?" Asked Cragen. As an American, privacy and individual rights were a touchy issue for him.

"Yes, it does, but this has always been a unique case, and we have reason to believe that Sayu may be acting as Kira. You must understand that in order to solve a case of this magnitude, certain rights must be overridden."

"Well, I don't like it, but I'll do it."

"Thank you. Please, waste no time in apprehending Ms. Yagami."

As the three people left, Nate and Aizawa were left to reason between themselves the probability of Sayu being involved.

"Near, L would always give us percentages on how much he suspected a certain person to be involved in a crime. Can you give me an approximation?"

Near thought to himself. The only real reason he had to think that Sayu was involved was that her mother had died of a heart attack. He didn't know for sure if Sayu had done it, or why she would be motivated to kill her mother if she had. It was really a long shot, but it was the best shot they had right now.

"I would give it a… six percent chance that Sayu is involved in some way." Said Near.

"6 percent. You know, L gave Light a five percent chance of being Kira when they narrowed it down to the people Raye Penbar was investigating."

"I don't want to read into what L did, because there is no way that Light is doing this. Sayu is not a genius like he was, and it will quickly become apparent if she deserves a more thorough investigation."

Aizawa let the conversation stop at that. _Indeed. I truly hope that Sayu hasn't been corrupted by the Death Note. She was such a sweet girl the last I saw her. _

---

Back at her apartment, Sayu had the other Death Note that Ryuk had brought with him. She didn't want to use it while Mark was acting as Kira so that there weren't conflicts with the time of death. That might mess up the terrific job that he was doing. Really, at this rate crime would be down to Kira-Age levels within a few months! It was a shame that she was only using him to get a peek at Nate Rivers' face; otherwise she might like to go meet him.

She was on her back, inside the small oven that came with her apartment. Anybody who peeked in would see an attractive young girl who apparently had a penchant for oven repair, but the reality was different.

"…and so Light had a plastic bag filled with gasoline and some wires at the bottom, so that if anyone tried to open the false bottom without the pen, the Death Note would be destroyed, so that he could not be prosecuted." Finished Ryuk.

"And that's pretty much what I'm doing now, only I don't want to play with gasoline, it smells nasty. I'm going to hide my Death Note right _(urgh_) in_ (stretch)_ here! gasp!"

Ryuk phased his head through the top of the oven and looked at Sayu's handiwork. She had unscrewed the panel protecting the thermometer that measured the oven temperature, and wrapped the Note in some wax paper so that it didn't get scratched or dirty. The deadly device barely fit in the cramped space, but with some creative bending, it slipped into the crevice, then back behind the thermometer. It would be impossible to tell where the Notebook was unless you knew where to look.

"And all I have to do is take it out when I bake something, which I never do, because I can't cook for the life of me!" Sayu said, with perhaps a little more cheer than one might expect from someone who had just insulted themselves.

_Sayu is definitely unlike Light in many ways. She so cheery. At least she's not yelling at me like Light always did, or putting needles in my apples anymore._

At that moment, they heard someone knock on the door to the apartment. Sayu took a deep breath and let it out slowly to help calm herself down. _The Death Note is safe. Its OK._

She walked over to the door and looked through the peep-hole.**1**.

Two men, one Japanese, the other looked like he was from America, were standing outside, looking very authoritative. Sayu put on her best innocent face and opened the door.

"Hello! How can I help you two gentlemen?" She asked in an anime-style voice that she had cultivated to throw people off. The men looked startled for a minute, then calmed down.

"Are you Sayu Yagami?" Asked the American-looking one.

"Yes, I am. What can I do for you?" Replied Sayu.

"A person were holding down at the police station just placed you at the seen of a crime. If you would come with us, we would like to question you there."

_I havn't been outside at all recently, and I've never been near a crime. They have to have some other reason for taking me down there. _Sayu's chest tightened involuntarily, but she quickly regained control. There was no way that they could suspect her. She was completely unattached to the recent Kira killings, at least as far as anyone else knew.

"Ok, I'll go to help clear this up. I don't remember being near any crimes recently." Said Sayu, as innocently as she could. _I have to be careful. These guys are pros at making people say things they don't want to._

---

In the building across the street, SPK agent Lidner watched through a pair of binoculars as the other two agents escorted Sayu to their car. After they drove off, she began to walk towards the apartment complex. It was time to get to work.

**Oh Noes! Will Lidner discover where Sayu has hidden the Death Note?**

**(1). Does anyone know what those things are actually called? **

**See you next chapter!**


	8. The Church of Kira

**A/N: Holy crap, I think that this is the fastest I've ever updated my stories. Well, here's the next chapter. Have at it.**

I do not own Death Note. If I did, Nate River would have been exposed to a lethal combination of sweets by both L and Mello at Whammy's.

---

"So you were nowhere near the site of the crime?"

"Absolutely not, sir. Since I'm not needed here anymore, can I go home now? I really need to get back to fixing…"

_Crap! I can't tell them that I was messing around with my oven; otherwise they might check it and find the Death Note! What do I tell them! _

Sayu panicked as she tried to think of a way out of the hole she had dug herself. She was in the middle of a police station and had almost revealed the location of the most lethal weapon on the planet to a pair of officers.

"Fixing what, Ms. Yagami?"

"… my, um… my.. WALLPAPER!" She blurted out nervously. "Yeah, there was a rip in the paper from the last tenant and I wanted get it fixed. But I wasn't able to finish it yet and I want to get back before the glue dries up."

Detective Cragen eyed her suspiciously, and then looked at his partner, Feng. He was supposed to give him a signal when Lidner radioed in with the results of her search. Letting Sayu go before that could be disastrous, as it would tip her off to being a Kira suspect.

---

_Nothing here, either. Damnit! Where could it be hidden!_ Halle Lidner, the agent searching Sayu's apartment, had searched practically everywhere, but found nothing suspicious. She knew how sneaky Light had been, though, and did not want to give up prematurely.

_Well, the only place left to check is inside the oven. But would there really be anything inside there?_ _The Death Note would burn just like anything else._ She walked over to the oven and opened the door. As she peered inside, she saw nothing out of the ordinary, until she looked up.

She noticed a small slot in the roof of the oven interior. _Bingo_, she thought to herself.

Lidner reached in with her hand and pushed back on the slot, removing it to see what was behind it.

_A thermometer? Well that does it. There's nothing here. Time to go before I get caught._ She closed the hatch and scooted to get out of the oven…

… And promptly bashed her head against the metal.

"Ow! For crying out loud!" She pulled her head out of the oven and slammed the door shut. Walking out of the apartment, she pushed the button on her beeper, sending Feng the signal to let Sayu go, then headed back to SPK headquarters.

---

Feng looked at Cragen and blinked twice, then returned his stare to Sayu. _Damn,_ thought Cragen. _There goes our only lead. Well, I guess we'll have to start from square one, like always._

"Ms. Yagami, you're free to go." He said, and opened the door to let Sayu out.

"Thank you Mr. Cragen. I hope you're able to catch the criminal. _So that Mark can judge him._

After Detective Feng dropped her off at her apartment, the first thing she did was lock the door behind her. Then, she checked the Death Note. _Excellent. Right where I left it._ Hidden in the slot behind the thermometer, well out of plain sight.

Sayu, satisfied that she had averted disaster, flopped on her bed. Ryuk, who had stayed at the apartment, filled her in on what Lidner had done.

"… And then she banged her head against the inside of the oven. I couldn't help laughing at it!"

Sayu giggled a bit, but inside she was nervous. Near had actually marked her as a target for investigation. Hopefully, this incident removed that suspicion, but she was fighting the man who had killed her genius brother. She had to be extra careful not to be implicated.

She drifted off to sleep, dreams of Light and revenge in her head.

---

While one Kira slept, the other was quite busy.

Oh yes, so very busy.

Mark had decided that it was time to bring some cohesion into the disparate groups of Kira supporters. It was no good that the God of the New World should have a broken church. No, they should be unified in their worship!

To this end, he had called together several people from the old Students Supporting Kira clubs that he had been a member of during his college years. They were to meet in a small, abandoned warehouse near the edge of the city. He walked around inside the building, unable to help feeling that something big had gone down here, once.

"_I live to serve you, God!!"_

"_You drove your father to his death!"_

"_That's right. I'm Kira!"_

Mark shook the voices from his head. He was obviously letting himself think too much. The others would be here soon and he had to make sure that his presentation was flawless. He would never reveal the secrets of the Death Note to these people; they would probably kill eachother to get at it. Instead, he would offer them the opportunity to get to know Kira on a personal basis, by acting as his High Priest. Taking this position would open him to investigation by law enforcement, but Mark was sure that he would be able to deal with a bunch of policemen. After all, they would never expect a notebook to be his weapon.

The large door seemed to scream in agony as it was opened the second time that day. In filed members of the SSK, all the people he had invited._Excellent._ He thought to himself. _These people think like me, they will be the basis of Kira's New World Order!_

As the last of the people walked in, He presented himself on one of the higher railings, overseeing the group.

"Welcome, friends! I have called you all here for a special reason! You all have a background supporting Kira, true justice incarnate, and it is far past time that Kira is repaid for his efforts!"

The people looked up, surprised. They had known, from talking to eachother, that this meeting had something to do with Kira. They did not, however, expect what came next.

"Throughout the world, there are so many different groups, all claiming to be the true followers of Kira. People claim to be Kira themselves, only to be proven false when their predictions fail! I come to you with the intent of founding the One True Church of Kira, under the order of the great savior himself! See that I do not lie. Here is Keiichi Oyaragi, convicted rapist and murderer, brought before us by Kira's power!"

The group recoiled as the bound man was thrown at their feet, writhing in an attempt to get free of the ropes.

"I do this as proof that I have Kira's endorsement! Watch the judgement!"

A few seconds after he was done speaking, the criminal on the floor started screaming into his gag, squirming in pain as his heart was forcibly stopped. Within seconds, it was over, and a corpse decorated the floor of Yellow Box warehouse.

The spectators initially did not know what to do. They had just witnessed Kira's judgement, without a doubt. But did they really want to join this… church?

"To all of you, I offer a choice. Kira's church must start somewhere, and I have selected you to be the first members of it. Kira speaks to me and me alone, so that I may spread his message of peace and justice! However I need you to help! Anyone here, who does not wish to join, may leave! Kira will not begrudge you for it. The rest, the loyal rest who have faith in Kira, stay and be rewarded as the first amongst his new disciples!"

No-one moved.

_Perfect. Kira's new world starts here! _


	9. A Glorious Beginning

**A/N: Holy crap, this has got to be the fastest series of updates I've ever done. I think I'll have to take a few months sabbatical to recover my energy after this.**

**Jk.**

I do not own Death Note. If I did, something would happen that helped Light win. Really, it's hard to think these things up for each chapter!

---

The Kira killings had taken a strange new twist. For a whole week, all the criminals that had died (and that was A LOT of criminals), had carved a symbol into themselves. Nothing fancy, just a circle with a capital "K" in the middle.

Kira had made his targets do things before, but it was strange that so many people did it and for so long a time. But what really turned some heads was a particular news story early one morning. A videotape had been sent to various news stations around the world with directions to do a story on it. Of course, the media complied. They all remembered the last time Kira had made demands of news stations.

"We have a videotape here of a Kira killing that was presided over by a strange new cult that claims to be the chosen group of Kira himself. The face of the victim has been blurred out as asked by police, and all of the cultists are wearing black masks and robes."

The channel switched to the video feed, and it showed a group of roughly 15 people in a half-circle around a man who had his hands bound behind him. The cultists all had the same symbol that the victims for the past week had, a circle with a capital "K" in the center. The video played for a few seconds before the man collapsed, writhing in pain as his heart stopped beating. Eventually, he stopped shaking and let loose a death rattle. One of the cultists stepped forward and spoke.

"We are the Church of Kira. The great Lord Kira has chosen us to be his emissaries to you all, spreading his message of justice and righteousness. We have no fear of presenting ourselves like this, as we are under Kira's divine protection. It is our mission to spread the worship of Kira throughout the world, and to stop people who would dare tarnish His new, perfect world with actions of hate and violence."

Another, taller member stepped forward as the previous one stepped back into the circle. "It is not our wish to spread terror or fear of Kira by televising these judgments. We show you these images so that you may know the power of Kira. We also give a message to all other groups that purport to worship Kira, from the Savior himself.

'I appreciate your faithful following, even during my time of rest, but it is time that you unite. A house divided cannot stand, thus you must come together under a single banner. Follow the words of my chosen, and serve me by identifying criminals and those who oppose me. Do not take action yourselves, lest you become criminals. Make them known to me and I will deal with them.'

Those are the words of our Great Lord! All hail Kira!" All of the cultists joined in, yelling "Hail Kira!" as though they had just won a great battle. The video clip ended, and the feed switched back to the news stations, who immediately began hypothesizing on whether or not these people really had Kira's favor, or if they had poisoned the man somehow.

Two people saw this film, however, and knew different. One took it as evidence that this new enemy was much bolder than the last, and did not see any great threat. He believed that this would be a great help in the fight to bring him down.

The other person listened and felt herself swell with pride, that her chosen pawn was so capable.

Sayu started giggling uncontrollably. "I can't believe it Ryuk! Things are actually happening, even faster than last time! This is so great!"

"It's definitely faster, but isn't this dangerous?" Replied the Shinigami.

"Of course its dangerous, but this whole business is dangerous. I originally intended for Mark to draw Nate out at the cost of his life, but maybe he'll be good enough to live through it!" Sayu thought the possibilities. Light had used many different people during his time as Kira; maybe she should too, to solidify Kira's power and seeming immortality. It would be no good for her to die accidentally and have Kira's reign end.

"Well, I'll give it some more thought later. For now, it's time for breakfast and work. Apple, Ryuk?" Sayu asked as she tossed one into the air.

The Shinigami made a terrifically acrobatic lunge through the air, doing a twist and some move that Sayu thought she had seen on a sports show once.

_He completely missed the apple. What a dunce._

---

The SPK sat around the collection of monitors than filled the main investigation room. Near himself was staring at the floor, processing this new information. Lidner, Cragen and Takanashi stood slack-jawed at the audacity of these people. They were incredibly bold to make a public announcement like this, even if they did have Kira's protection. Kira could only kill anyone fighting the new church after being informed of them, so…

_Wait._ Near thought. _If Kira were to protect his church from harm, he would have to be able to know who was attacking them almost immediately to have any effect._

"We need to have someone inside that group. A mole. Does anyone here have any experience in that kind of work?" Near was hopeful that one of his agents did, this was a great chance to get some information on the identity of Kira.

"I did a few undercover raids when I was younger." Offered Cragen.

"No offense, but you're awfully old." Said Takanashi. "Most of those cultists sounded like they were pretty young. You'd stick out like a sore thumb."

"Feng is right. Also, thank you for volunteering." Replied Near.

"Wait, what! I didn't, I mean… you can't just send me in there! They'll eat me alive!" Feng started to panic as he thought of the implications of trying to be a mole.

"I know you have no experience, but John is too old, and Lidner is going to be doing work elsewhere. You're the only one who can do this. Please, accept the mission."

Feng tried to look unphased, but he was definitely scared of trying to fit in with a den of Kira worshippers. Their god was a murderer, for crying out loud!

"I'll try my best, Near. You can count on me!" _Oh god, what have I just done to myself?_

_---_

_A few days after the news broadcast…_

Mark looked on proudly at the people that filed into the warehouse, which he had been hard at work converting into a church. Pews filled the empty center, with much of the metal railing and walkways converted into hand rails, benches and other implements. Some of the cultists were skilled metal-workers, after all.

He had sent his followers out to recruit as many people as they knew who were like minded, or who were undecided on the issue. It was a church, and churches converted people. A full 30 persons had come to the first sermon of the Church of Kira.

"My friends under Kira's power, welcome, welcome to the first official meeting of our grand church." Mark and his followers, _sans _disguise, were up in front of the assembly, with the new inductees in the pews. "You are here because you have shown an interest in the teachings of Kira, and you will receive them here. Here, you are free from the shackles of crime and fear, and will be safe, wrapped in Kira's loving embrace."

The people in the pews smiled at this, most thinking that Kira had finally returned for good, to deliver them from evil. One person smiled because he thought it was funny that a murderer could have a loving embrace.

"Please, come up to the front here and speak your name, so that we all may know our brothers and sisters, and so that your name may be recorded in our books as the first converts in Kira's Church." Mark smiled his best smile, not out of deceit, but out of genuine happiness. He had been right about so many things. Kira's return, Kira's love, people wanting Kira. And this was all proof of it.

As he listened to the people sound off their names to the recorder, he began to think of the long term. Obviously the police would investigate to try to find Kira, but he would make sure that his church would be seen as a non-violent religion, protected by law. He snapped out of his daydreams as he noticed the line of people grow short.

"Peter Handon."

"Shia Tong."

"Feng Takanashi."

"Keichii Orashami."

"Sayu Yagami."


	10. Something in the Air

**A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Axia Elements, whose review prompted me to stop being so dang lazy and write. Unfortunately, I had half the chapter written out on another computer, emailed it to my other one at college, and found out I didn't have the program to read it. :(**

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. If I did, that old dude who ran Whammy's house would've been a pedophile and would have emotionally scarred Mello and Near too bad for them to perform as detectives.

I'm so evil!

--

Feng was taken aback. _Sayu is here? Why? She doesn't seem to be the kind of person who would be interested in Kira worship._ He resolved to find out her reasons for joining sometime after the sermon, which mostly consisted of rhetoric, examples of criminal behavior, and finished with a directive to convert more people and keep the location of the Church secret.

He approached Sayu, who was standing alone in a corner, staring at Mark.

"Hello! My name is Feng, as you know, and I've been going around meeting the other members. You are Sayu, correct?"

"Yes, I am. Nice to meet you, Feng." Replied Sayu.

He desperately hoped that she did not recognize him from the police station. If she did, his cover was blown, and he would be torn apart by cultists. That fate did _not_ appeal to him.

"There's a good variety of people here, and I was wondering what your reasons were for joining."

"Oh. Well," Began Sayu. "I'm not sure if I feel comfortable talking to strangers about it."

_Damn._ Thought Feng. He hadn't taken many courses in interrogation during his police career, but he tried his best to dredge up communication skills. _How do I get this girl to talk? What would the chief do? _

_Aha! She's alone! A real shame, and I feel like a jerk, but I really need to know why she's here._

"Sayu, I know it has to be hard for you, after, well, you know. But I just want you to know that were all a family here, and we'll always be ready to back you up if you ever need it." He put on his most convincing smile, which regarded him with a giggle from Sayu.

"That's awfully nice, Feng. Thank you. I guess… it just seems so unfair to me. My father was shot and killed by a criminal during the first Kira investigation, and then by brother turns up dead, riddled with bullet holes. I can't help but think that he was also killed by a criminal."

Sayu sniffled a bit, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. "Light was my _brother!_ But he was more than that! He was my best friend, my tutor, everything! When I was little I could just barge in on him in the middle of the night and he would help me with my homework. He gave me tips on how to date guys… I just couldn't believe that he had been taken away from me like that!"

Feng was taken aback by the display. He had not expected her to still hold such strong emotions over her brother's death. He found it particularly ironic that Light had died not from a criminal, but from a police officer, after being found out as Kira. But he didn't have the heart to break that to her.

"And just recently, with my mom passing away too, I know it wasn't related to crime, but the loss of my father and Light took such a toll on her, it had to have weakened her heart! I felt that by helping Kira catch criminals, I could somehow put myself at ease over their deaths."

Sayu's eyes were red and puffed up, though no more tears came out. She laughed nervously.

"I'm sorry for blowing up on you like that. It's nice to just be able to talk to someone about it all, though. I guess that's what these big groups are all about." She looked up at Feng with a smile on her face, and Feng smiled back.

_Ah, who am I kidding? This girl has been through way too much to be suspected of any Kira activities. I would be better off investigating Mark some more._

"So, Feng. What are your reasons for joining?"

He replied with the careful story he had prepared before leaving HQ, about his house being broken into, ransacked, and how the burglars had shot and killed his pet dog. It seemed reasonable, since most of the other members had histories tainted with criminal assault.

They exchanged some more pleasantries, and then eventually found reasons to leave the discussion. Feng went around talking to more members, while Sayu went back to her spot in the corner. She leaned back against the wall and watched the assembly.

_Well, looks like Feng bought the sob story. Shouldn't have gotten myself so worked up though, now my eyes are itchy._

_Look at them all. This is fantastic. My brother would be so proud of me, uniting those who are truly thankful for Kira, not just opportunists like Demegawa was._

She thought little of people who tried to exploit people's fear of Kira. During Light's reign, there had been people selling all kinds of amulets and charms purported to protect them from Kira's power. All fake, of course. She was certain that Mark would use the Church of Kira to weed out those who did not truly want Kira's perfect world.

_Ah, Mark. He really has done a great job here. _

The more Sayu thought about him, the more she wanted to go meet the man. After all, she was the one who gave him the Death Note.

_I'd have to be really careful. He doesn't know anything about me, and I can't tip him off about the Note, otherwise he might decide to kill me. And I can't let him see Ryuk either. Then I'd have to explain everything to him and I don't want to do that._

She pondered it over for awhile, but was disrupted by a person standing in front of her.

It was Mark.

"Oh! Umm... Hi!"

--

"Near, we have a situation here. Sayu Yagami is a member in the Church of Kira. I wasn't expecting this…" he was cut off by Near.

"Did you approach her?"

"Yes. I asked her why she joined, and she basically told me that she was angry over her family's death. Most of the other members have similarly criminal-related reasons for joining. It seems like this Church is a way for revenge or acceptance for them all."

"Did she recognize you?"

"No, she didn't. I told her my fake story, and she bought it. Should we change the plan at all for this?"

Near thought about any complications that the younger Yagami might introduce to their operation.

"No, just keep an eye on what she does as well as Mark. He is your primary target. Don't do anything to make him suspicious, just try to befriend him. Infiltration takes time to work properly."

"Yes, Near. Feng out."

--

"No way."

"Yes, I'm afraid it's true."

"Wow! You must've felt so lucky! I would be so scared at first too! But to be saved directly by Kira, that's something special!"

Sayu and Mark had quickly gotten into a conversation about Kira. Mark had just told her of the incident directing him to join the SSK, where an escaped fugitive was mugging him. The mugger had drawn a gun and was about to shoot, when he had let out a cry and fell over, dead.

They were walking along the road back to town, chatting about anything and everything Kira related. Halfway into town, they had just gotten to talking about the L investigation.

"It was really interesting to listen to that first broadcast. People had already taken up sides and were either rooting for L or Kira." Sayu said.

"Interesting that people were so quick to form opinions. One might think that they would be more cautious, in case there was a government reprisal." Replied Mark.

"Since it had been discovered that Kira was in Japan, a lot of the people felt that if they were Kira supporters, that he would protect them from persecution. And he sorta did, because the government was too afraid to go after them, thinking that Kira would turn against them."

"Yes, I can see how that would be a problem."

The friendly banter continued until they reached a crossing where their paths split.

"Well, it was really nice talking to you, Mark. I suppose I'll see you at the next meeting?" Sayu asked, with a hopeful tone in her voice.

"Certainly, Sayu. I can't wait to see you there!" They waved and walked off in their separate directions.

_Well, he sure is nice._ Sayu thought to herself. _I was kind of worried he was going to be a complete psychopath about the whole Kira thing, but he's actually got good ideas about a whole lot of things. _

_It's late though, and Ryuk is probably bored since no-one has been around to give him… _

"Oh no." Sayu ran as fast as she could, trying to get to her apartment to make sure that Ryuk hadn't torn the place up in a mad search for apples.

_She's rather nice._ Thought Mark. _She definitely is a strong Kira supporter, but she's also got good ideas about a lot of other things to. I hope she'd like to talk after the next meeting too._

_It's late though, and the guilty need to be…_

"Oh no." Mark ran as fast as he could to his home, trying to get there so that he could write down enough names so that no-one would realize that the death toll slowed down during meetings of the Church. If they figured that out, they would be able to determine that Kira himself was a member.

Despite the dramatic worries of both persons, they fell asleep that night, happier than usual.


	11. Yes, the author is still alive

**A/N: Sweet Lord, is it… YES! AN UPDATE!**

**Really sorry for the tremendous down-time, but I completely lost my muse for writing. I was reading other stories, playing games, and writing a Public Policy paper on freaking **_**tax exempt status**_**. That is the driest crap you will ever read. Tax policy. Ugh.**

**Anyways, here's a chapter! Whee!**

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. If I did, Near's driver would've gotten into a traffic accident and put him into a coma for 13 years.

---

An apple floated through the air. As he watched, the stem popped out of its own accord, and the apple disappeared from view.

The homeless man took out his bottle and drank it to the bottom. He needed it, after all. 

---

"So, Sayu, things seem to be going pretty good for you. Are you going to do anything to help Mark get Nate?" Asked Ryuk as he finished an apple. He thought he saw some movement on his left, but he ignored it.

"I don't really know, Ryuk." Replied Sayu. "On one hand, the whole plan was to use Mark like bait, but now…

I'm not so sure I want to."

Ryuk was more than a little confused. The last time he had seen anyone act like this was when Rem-

"Sayu, are you falling for the guys? Haha! I didn't see this coming!" Ryuk chortled as he swelled another apple whole.

Sayu got red-faced and turned to Ryuk. Fortunately, there weren't any people out this late at night. "You… you you you just SHUT UP!" Sayu yelled at him. "You don't have any idea what you're talking about anyways, you've never even liked anyone!"

Ryuk backed up a bit, startled at the outburst. Why did humans have to get so emotional over nothing? "S-sorry, Sayu. But still, it is a change in your grand plan. I'm just wondering if you're thinking it all through."

"Aw, you care about me, Ryuk?" Asked Sayu, in a voice dripping with sweetness, but patently fake.

"Heh, like that would ever happen. I'm not dumb enough to get attached to humans. That's how Rem went." Ryuk always thought she was foolish to get attached like that. Even though she did save Misa, she ended up dying anyways. Why would you toss away your immortal life for the temporary life of some human?

"In any case," began Sayu, "I want to figure out a way to get Nate to show his face without having to put ANY of the members of the church at risk. They're all good people, after all."

---

"I know it's a small lead, but it's the best we've got," said Cragen. "That church sprang up out of no-where, and now Kira is saying that it has his explicit endorsement. The new Kira _has_ to be in there."

"Well, if he is in there, it could be anyone. All those people were hardcore Kira worshippers the last time around, so they would all have a motive to become Kira if they found a Death Note." Stated Feng. "But I do think that we can mark off Sayu. Her behavior is suspicious, but she had what she thought were good reasons and they accounted for her behavior."

"We can look at everyone else too, but I don't think its wise to write off suspects based on a single interview." Replied Cragen.

They stopped arguing when Aizawa and Near walked into the room and addressed everyone.

Near spoke first: "Thank you all for meeting me here. Feng briefed me on his infiltration of the church, and I don't think it's looking too good. A lot of people are joining from all over the world."

"Either they really believe in Kira," began Feng, "or they're just trying to avoid his judgment."

"Regardless of the reason, we should do background checks on all of them to build a preliminary profile. Cragen, you're good with paperwork, if you would please do that."

"On it, Near."

"Feng, try to get closer to the leader. You said his name was Mark Hagen, right?"

"Yes. I'll work on it at the next church meeting."

"Good. Also, I think that Feng may have come off as suspicious to Sayu, due to the times he's questioned her." Feng sweatdropped at this. "Lidner, I think you should be the next one to talk to Sayu, should we need to. In the meantime, just keep on eye on her whereabouts."

Feng interrupted before Halle could reply. "But aren't we assuming she isn't a suspect?"

"We have to keep everyone in mind. Please, you all have your assignments. We'll meet back here two days from now." Everyone filed out, heading to their cars. Aizawa stepped into the room and looked at Near.

"Are you sure this is wise, Near? Misleading your own team could backfire."

"I know, Aizawa, but I can't take the chance of them doubting me like your group did with L. Sayu is still my top suspect. Lidner will be keeping an eye on her. In the meantime, I have something for you to do."

--

Mark got home from his day job and sat down at his desk. He opened the Death Note and began scribbling names down from the world's databases of criminals, so nicely prepared for him. 

As he wrote, his mind went to a thought that he'd had early on in this whole affair. The matter of L. L had challenged Kira early in his reign, only to later disappear behind media smokescreen tactics whenever inquiries were made as to the progress of the case. Much of the world had given up on L ever catching Kira, but then, out of the blue, Kira had stopped and who else but L claimed to have put and end to him. The whole business was suspicious, but when dealing with supernatural notebooks, a whole lot of stuff became odd.

The point was, Mark was worried. Even though he had the Death Note, this L had apparently been skilled enough to put his predecessor out of business, an event which he desperately hoped to avoid. He had formed his church not only to begin unifying the world, but also to provide a safety net for him should he ever be outed. A whole religion, devoted to his safety, would ensure that he would not be arrested or killed by L. 

He put the pen down, laid his head into his hands and massaged his temples as he thought about the whole situation. He had gotten the Note in the mail, so whoever sent it knew about him. He wasn't worried about that, since him being caught would probably ruin their plans. As far as he knew, only He, L, and this third person knew about the Death Note. Since he had no idea how to even look for this anonymous third person, he decided that the next step in securing the Second Reign of Kira was to eliminate L.

_How do I take on the best detective in the world, who was able to defeat the original Kira?_ Mark thought to himself. _I've got no idea where he could be. The only option would be to lure him here, but to do that I would have to hint at my own location. That's really dangerous._

_But necessary._

--

Sayu woke up the next morning to a loud, repetitive noise outside her apartment window. A large mass of people was marching in the streets, holding high banners proclaiming the rule of Kira, and their adoration of his justice. She opened the window and stuck her head out, and her jaw dropped to the groud.

There was a whole parade. Marchers, band, even a float! What the hell?

"Ryuk! What's going on!" Asked Sayu, after closing her window so that no-one would overhear.

"I have no idea, but it's been going on for about fifteen minutes now. Kind of funny if you ask me."

Sayu really didn't care about why the crazy Shinigami found a parade of Kira worshippers marching down her street funny. She was panicking, wondering if, and how, Nate had uncovered her and released the information to the public.

She turned on the T.V. to a local Kira-supportive news station, fearing that her face would be plastered all over.

Instead, there was a simple message being scrolled in the middle of the screen. It read; "KIRA ISSUES CHALLENGE TO L."

A deep text-to-voice program uttered a message. "To the detective known as L, I am Kira. As you know, I have returned to continue to deliver this world into righteousness. However, I believe that you will attempt to thwart me at every turn, and would thus like to end our rivalry soon."

There was a flicker, and the camera switched from the standard encircled "K" to a picture of Japan, with a circle on the map.

"I am, as I last was, located in the Kanto region of Japan. I challenge you to come here to try to find and defeat me again. I will be working to uncover and defeat you. Before I can declare my kingdom, you must be purged. This is the only hint I will give you. Come to me, L."

The message was over.

Ryuk and Sayu stared at the screen, then looked at eachother. Ryuk opened his mouth first.

"Well, I suppose that this means you'll be able to see Nate's face a whole lot sooner, won't you?" He let out his dry, cackling laugh.

Sayu knew that her plans were indeed going well. But all she could think of, all she cared about was that Mark was putting himself into great danger.

And she was powerless to help him.

---

**Oh dang, it's on now! Lets see if I can't update sooner than two months from now :)**


	12. Actions are taken

**A/N: Back at college, back to writing. I may be a little rusty after my long absence, but I hope I can still create quality material for you. For those of you who I attracted with my Code Geass fic, please be patient. I want to finish this one up before I do anything else. I've been awful with starting new stories before finishing old ones.**

I do not own Death Note. If I did, then L would've fallen in love with Light like in all those yaoi stories that make up a freaking 50% of DN's fanbase. Only Light wouldn't have reciprocated and instead would've used L's emotions as leverage to keep him under control.

I think I spend more time thinking on these pre-chapter bits than I do thinking about the actual chapter.

- - -

"There's your package, miss. Have a good day now!"

"Thank you and you too!" Sayu waved as the deliveryman headed back to his truck and drove off. The past few days had been very busy. A lot had been happening between attending church meetings, keeping tabs on Mark, and trying to figure out some way to protect Mark from Near. Since she was unable to come up with any plans that would protect Mark while preserving her secrecy, she had decided to get on with her main goal of killing Near. To that end, she had ordered a package of remote cameras. Six in total, she had plans to place them in likely places that Mark and Near would have their final showdown.

"So Sayu, now that you have your cameras, can you get back to buying my apples?"

"Ryuk that is the 3rd bushel of apples you've eaten this month! Do you have any idea how many apples that is?"

"Well, no, but I-"

"A bushel of apples is 48 pounds. A single apple weighs about 5 ounces. There are 16 ounces in a pound."

"I don't see…" Sayu cut him off with a wave of her hand.

"That means that in one month, you've eaten…" Sayu began counting on her fingers, and upon reaching the final number she groaned and fell backwards onto her bed. Her long hair spilled around her, creating the image of a catholic saint with a black halo. Ryuk found this particularly amusing, considering the things that she was involved with.

"Four hundred and sixty apples." Ryuk's mouth snapped shut at that. "FOUR HUNDRED AND SIXTY APPLES RYUK! I NEED TO EAT TOO YOU KNOW!" Sayu had leapt to her feet and was driving her finger into the poor Shinigami's forehead. The withering gaze Sayu was giving Ryuk made him shiver. Light had often become annoyed with him, but he never got hostile with him.

"S-sorry, Sayu! I'll try to conserve my apples from now on! I promise!" Sayu's face became less menacing and more cautious, as though she was considering the Shinigami's oath.

"You always say that, Ryuk. And every time, you go right ahead and eat every last apple just like always. I'm sick of going to the market and having everyone looking at me, wondering what I do with those apples. And I'm sick of the budget drain! Apples are cheap, but you eat so many of them! Ugh!" Sayu stopped her rant. She had started pacing around the room and Ryuk was beginning to worry that she would do something violent. Fortunately, she seemed to calm down. Resting her head in her hands, Sayu spoke again.

"I just need to calm down. All this stress is making me go crazy!" Sayu sat upright in her chair and turned to her cameras. "Right now, I need to focus on where to put these. I know for sure that I'll be putting two in the church itself. That's practically the first place Nate will look. Maybe I'll be able to identify any of his agents. I'm sure he'll place some there."

Ryuk nodded. "That sounds reasonable. But that still leaves you with four cameras. Where are they going?"

"I don't really know. I don't know anything about Near at all, or about what Mark plans to do. I think the first thing I should do is talk to Mark and find out his schedule."

"Oh?" Ryuk asked. Even though his face was in a permanent grin, Sayu could hear the amusement in his voice.

"Shut up Ryuk! I don't want to know his schedule so I can stalk him; I just want to know where to put the cameras so I can keep an eye on him."

"I thought you said you weren't stalking him."

"SHUT UP!" Sayu spun around so that Ryuk couldn't see her face heat up. Why she was embarrassed about a Shinigami knowing that she was blushing, she wasn't sure. "I mean I need to see where he is because those are likely places that he'll be intercepted by Near's people!"

Ryuk knew this, of course. He just enjoyed teasing Sayu. After he had deduced that she liked Mark, he let no opportunity go to waste to badger the poor girl.

"Who knows? Maybe Mark will find out and it'll turn out that he likes being spied one?" Ryuk let his hand wave, feigning innocence. But they both knew what he was doing. Sayu turned around, her face contorted into a violent sneer.

"That's it Ryuk. No more apples for the entire month. I hope you enjoy withdrawal symptoms."

"What? No! Sayu, wait! I was just jok…" The door slammed as Sayu left the apartment.

"…ing."

- - -

At the church, Mark was busy with a few new members. They had come up to him after the service and asked him how he knew so much about Kira's will.

_Telling them the truth is out of the question. I've already proclaimed that this church is the one true church, but will claiming that Kira speaks directly to me make me a target? Then again, I suppose I already am a target, at least amongst Kira opposers. The police can't touch me since they can't connect this church to the video killings. _

The police had very nearly shut him down early on. While Mark knew that executing men on live TV was risky, he hadn't thought that the police would just arrest everyone at the church. It was a tricky legal battle, but Mark was able to get the whole church acquitted because there was no direct evidence that any of the churchgoers were the masked cultists on the television. Because of that and laws against double jeopardy, the original church members were practically immune, barring extreme evidence, and the church could cry persecution in any further arrests. The police's premature move had given Mark's organization a degree of security at no cost.

_Very well then_.

"You see, I founded this church immediately after receiving direct visions from Kira himself." The members in front of him gasped, and more than a few wondered if he was crazy. The first time Kira had appeared, anyone claiming to receive visions had quickly been judged. "I know that you have your doubts about this, but if I were a liar, would I still be alive? Would Kira himself have endorsed this church if he himself hadn't ordered its foundation? I tell you now, that Kira speaks to the world through me. However, I do not pretend to know his mind or wield his strength. I am merely his messenger to you." The short speech had created a sense of awe in the members present, and erased the fears of those who worried for Kira's divine retribution.

As the meeting went on, Mark's vision was grabbed by a figure moving in the darkness. It seemed to be climbing the rafters of the warehouse-turned-church.

"Holy one, is something the matter?" One of the initiates had noticed that his gaze was frequently shifting to the far end of the building, and was trying to see what he saw. Unfortunately, the figure had disappeared.

"No, nothing is wrong. And please, don't call me holy. I am merely His tool, nothing more." Mark had to keep as low a profile as possible. That was going to prove incredibly difficult since he was leading the cult. He had originally intended to use masks, but he felt that the anonymity would create more chances for an assassin to enter, or spread distrust. In a church of Kira's peace, trust had to be maintained. So he was now known to many as the Prophet of Kira, and this gained him a lot of attention from both the media and the police. He had become a regular at the police station, and they were threatening to arrest him for conspiring with the Kira murders, but Mark had simply told them that Kira would not take kindly to having his chosen servant being locked up, and that they could expect swift retribution should they harm him.

They left him alone after that. The only interaction with police he had nowadays was the occasional agent coming by and asking him about the recent judgments. They were always trying to trick him into admitting something, but he stuck to the story of simply being the voice of Kira, having nothing to do with the actual killings. The steady increase in church membership also proved a deterrent, as officers were often wary to approach a large group of Kira cultists.

After his talk with the new members, he investigated the place where the shadowed figure had been. He looked up at the rafters and reached out a hand to climb. A hand stopped him.

"Hey Mark! It's nice to see you again!" Sayu's cheerful smile instantly dismissed any worry or suspicion about the shadows. He must have been imagining things.

"Hey Sayu, it's nice to see you in person again. The regular church hours don't leave me a whole lot of time to talk individually, especially since I need to induct the new members personally."

"Oh don't worry about that, I understand. You know, I really appreciate all the work you're doing. It makes me feel like there's really some out there; Someone who's really taken revenge for my family." Sayu smiled, and blushed a little. She hadn't meant to get so talkative, or so forward. _Damn! Choosing this guy was either the best or the worst move I've made so far!_

"I'm glad you appreciate Kira's work, Sayu. But he is the one who deserves the praise, not I." _I've got to play this careful. Sayu is a nice girl and I think I like her. But if I let myself get too attached, there's a risk she could find out my secret._

_Then again, she is a loyal member, and she has every reason to support Kira. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if she found out?_

_No. I have to keep this a secret. For her own safety, as well as mine._

"Mark?" Sayu's bright expression turned worried as she saw Mark seem to lapse out of reality.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. I was just thinking there, about the church. Fending off the police has gotten a lot easier since that sham of a trial, but the news are almost as bad. They're always trying to get me to give an interview over every judgment."

"What do you tell them?"

"I just say that it's Kira's judgment, and that while he judges the guilty, it is my job to gather the faithful and preach his word of peace."

Sayu smiled, both inside and out. _He's really good with words. It's easy to see how he keeps this church going. Although I do wonder how he handles the knowledge that someone else knows who he is. The person who sent him the note._

"So, last time we talked, it was nice." Sayu tried her hardest to keep from blushing, with minimal success. She found an incredibly interesting piece of tile to stare at. "I was wondering if maybe, you'd like to go on a walk or something?"

Mark stared at her, unsure of what to say.

"I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to! I just thought that since we both had fun, or well I had fun and I thought you had fun, it'd be fun to do it again! Just a walk around the park or something?" Sayu was now blushing fiercely. She was not cut out for this, and her ulterior motives only made this conversation harder. _That's enough Sayu! You are Light Yagami's sister! The sister of the man who changed the world! You should be able to handle a simple conversation with a hot guy!_

_I'm a lost cause…_

She turned her face up to look at Mark again, and found him smiling at her.

"That sounds like a great idea, Sayu. I did have a good time talking with you, and I'd definitely like to do it again. There's an ice cream place I go to often, maybe we could meet up there before we go? How's tomorrow sound, maybe around two?" He practically exuded confidence. His leadership at the church had completely changed him from the lonely child he was before. Now, he was feeling empowered. He had the Death Note, he was the leader of a church that was quickly growing and spreading worldwide, he had immunized his group against the police, and now an attractive, faithful girl was returning his affections.

"That sounds perfect Mark! I'll be sure to meet you!" Sayu took a look at her watch. "Oh! I'm really sorry, but I've got to go. Classes will be starting again soon and I've got to go order my supplies before it's too late!"

As she ran off, one thought dominated Mark's mind.

_Life is good._

- - -

"And that's the whole of it." Feng finished his report to the super-detective, Near.

"Hmm. Apart from worshipping this new Kira like some kind of god, they don't really seem to be doing anything."

"It's distasteful." Remarked Cragen. "People are dying left and right and these cultists are praising the man doing it."

"Well, they do think he's a god. When a person kills, its murder. When a god kills, its justice." Halle responded.

Near brought the discussion to a close with a raised hand. " Our primary goal is still the same. Feng, I want you to keep your position in the church, and continue to relay any developments to me. Also, I would like you to take these and place them inside the church." Near waved towards a box with a pair of low-profile security cameras.

"Sure thing Near. I can do this, at least." Feng took the cameras and exited the room.

"Excellent. Mr. Cragen, have the police turned up anything since that trial?" The contempt Near had for the police was evident in his voice. He had never trusted the regular police and that debacle of a trial only increased his dislike of them.

"I'm afraid not. We can't bring them in without evidence anymore, and they're going around in packs now, so most of the officers are afraid to approach them alone. And we can't approach them in a group because that would seem like intimidation." Cragen sighed and ran a hand over his face, frustrated at all the ways their hands were tied.

"Very well. All I can ask you to do now is to question the newer members. They may not know much, but maybe they'll let something slip that will give us a reason to bring them into custody again."

"Alright, I'll see what I can do." Cragen left the room, and headed to the station to relay the orders.

"Halle, I have something special planned for you."

"Oh?" Her curiosity was piqued.

"Yes. Aizawa already knows this, and I feel I can trust you due to your service in the first Kira case. I still feel that Sayu is the most likely suspect. I believe that she has avoided us with intellectual skill not unlike Light."

"So you want me to spy on her during her date with Mark?"

"Exactly. Keep your distance and remain unseen, but try to record everything said and especially pay attention for any pieces of paper or objects that could hide Death Note fragments."

"Understood Near. I'll get right on it." Halle left the room and went to prepare for her mission.

"What do you think, Aizawa. Am I doing good so far?" Near questioned the darkness behind him.

"I think that you're working like L did. You have your primary ideas, but you also don't discount other possibilities." Near didn't miss the implication.

"Ah. Of course, L is dead, so what else do you think I could be doing?"

"If Sayu really is the culprit, and has avoided us this far, then spying on her dates isn't going to reveal anything. We need to ramp up our investigation. I suggest we plant cameras in her apartment, like we did with Light."

"You opposed this method last time, I believe. What makes you so eager to do it now?"

"I saw the depths that the Death Note can make people sink to. Those notebooks are pure evil, and we need to do everything possible to remove them from anyone who would use them." His voice was steady and stern.

"Thank you for your opinion Aizawa. I agree. Take some more cameras and place them in Sayu's apartment while she is out on her date."

_Sayu, I hope you are not behind this. But if you are…_

_Near, I'm getting closer to you. And when I find you…_

_I will defeat you!_


End file.
